First thing I saw today was the mature Hawthorn hedge - ridding stables/F5 has been severely flailed to 15ft leaving only a few berries near the top.Also the Hawthorn hedge along F4 to Orchard ,has also been flailed (side and top)as well ...... No birds at either hedge.Very quiet elsewhere

I have only just seen this posted on the Friends of Carrington Moss Facebook page. A Manx Shearwater was in a Partington garden last night (12-09-18) but not today. There are 3 photographs. These are the links to best two for Facebook users.

Reading into the thread it seems the bird had a damaged wing and was placed on a pond somewhere. Still awaiting permission to share photo's for the benefit of those not on social media.

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Thursday 13th of September 2018 09:38:41 PM

I now have permission to share photographs. The bird was released at a large pond in a large field in Warburton last night (I don't know anymore than that and don't wish to pursue the lady for more information)

I have only just seen this posted on the Friends of Carrington Moss Facebook page. A Manx Shearwater was in a Partington garden last night (12-09-18) but not today. There are 3 photographs. These are the links to best two for Facebook users.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=693819424319258&set=pcb.235940133933074&type=3&theater&ifg
Reading into the thread it seems the bird had a damaged wing and was placed on a pond somewhere. Still awaiting permission to share photo's for the benefit of those not on social media.

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Thursday 13th of September 2018 09:38:41 PM

Late pm yesterday, 3 Buzzard and a Kestrel were the highlights around F2.

Genuinely surprised the peat is actually burning in a couple of locations around F2/the old Orchard. The ground has collapsed in a couple of places. I don't recall seeing this before on Carrington Moss. The farmer was out with a water bowser damping everything down. I assume it commenced in the dry spell but just goes to show you the length of time it will burn even with the abundant rain we have had in the last couple of weeks.

As I arrived via Isherwood rd.at 1pm ,I could hear shotguns being used nearby . I found the shooters hide, the spinning Woodpigeon decoys and their vehicle in field 12/14 with the pylon in it.Nothing was about, everywhere quiet as the grave .I headed towards Swiss cottage farm and the trans pennine trail . This was futile only 2 Common Buzzard, 30 Starling and 4 juvenile Chiffchaff about.On my return home I mentioned the shooters on Facebook - Friends of Carrington moss. The reply was quite a surprise !!!They contacted HIMOR who will be speaking to the farm concerned and will have a talk with the company doing the shooting. The Police are also involved as public footpaths were close to the shoot. Any further occurrences should be reported to police on 101.I hope this episode hasn't done to much damage to this part of the moss as there is shooting elsewhere on it.

Possible hybrid Tree x House Sparrow this morning 10 am. Generally looked like a male House Sparrow but with a complete chestnut crown. White cheeks but without Tree Sparrow muttonchops. Call as House Sparrow. Seen near Sinderland Green at a location where Tree Sparrows sometimes occur, but it is some distance from the nearest farm and I do not recall ever having recorded House Sparrow there.

Beautiful day out on the Moss today - virtually had the place to myself too.

Highlights:

5 wheatear in F4

yellowhammer at seemingly ever corner with 22 counted at least

possible corn bunting but didn't get close enough to definitively rule out y/hammer (are corn bunting still possible at this site out of interest?)

20+ linnet

pair whitethroat and two others heard

singing chiffchaff in almost all suitable areas

1 willow warbler singing near narrow track path between F1 and F10 (I think.. still getting to grips with the numbered fields!)

pair blackcap

2 pheasant

16 stock dove

3 buzzard

1 sparrowhawk

1 kestrel

No whinchat for me...

BUT the three yellow wagtail 1f and 2m more than made up for it! The two males put on a spectacular aerial fight display lasting around 15 minutes. Brilliant birding moment! Coming from the bridge over Sinderland brook heading north and taking the narrow track first on the right. They were about 10 minutes along in the narrow dry field on the left hand side. The much larger field to the right is already cultivated. Not sure of the numbered location but certainly quite close to Brookheys Farm and just before the field with horses/sheep.

With the Stockport area seemingly within a migrant force-wall, this was like a blast of fresh air. Best were 2 whinchat males in all their finery, with 2 wheatears, and a pair of whitethroats as well as 2/3 other songsters. Other than these I had forgotten how good yellowhammers look as I haven't been to an area that holds them for ages. I saw 10+, and also linnets were well represented with at least 15 seen. 18 stock doves were counted. All these were within the area bounded by the MUFC approach road to the east and the old rail line to the west (adjacent to the nature reserve compound), but didn't do the whole area. As the butterflies were also on show, I will return when the sun really shines (not like today). One other thing. Is it just me, or are chiffchaffs much reduced this year? Nowhere near as many everywhere I've been so far in 2018.

Field 12 3 Wheatear. Field 4 6 SkylarksCrossroads of 11/10 Yellow Wagtail briefly on telephone wires, then disappeared never to return.Almost every field I passed held Skylarks.End of ditch that runs parallel to footpath adjacent to Shell NR, pair of Blackcap.

Yellowhammers were in big numbers to compared to last time I was on the Moss.....

Chris Chandler and I had a walk around the Brookheys Covert sort of area this lunchtime having walked up from Dunham Massey. We got to Sinderland Lane about 1130 and walked up the path opposite Whitehouse Lane, up to the point where F25, F27, F10 and F11 meet and then back around the back of Brookheys Farm and back down to the main road.

Some great little vignettes; 40+ Yellowhammers in the hedge at the top of F25 was really great, 60+ Fieldfares in F32 and also as suggested by Jeff below, a Little Egret was pottering around the farm paddocks. There were at least 4 Buzzards up in the air including one doing display stoops and dives and I also liked the Rookery. Nothing spectacular but really nice birding.

As I understand it the land may be private, but the major tracks on Carrington Moss are public rights of way or have been given permissive path status by the new owners Himor. All the signs really mean is keep out of the fields!

Hi All, I went to investigate this area today as I was passing though Carrington, but going from Sinderling Lane area off Manchester Road, I just found that all the land seems to be private with no obvious way to walk though.

I was talking to a local person near to Brookheys Farm and it seems that Little Egrets (usually two) are regularly being seen there. They are being seen both on the brook and in the adjacent fields. As the brook is so winding here it is quite easy to miss them as even if they are there they could easily be hidden just around the next bend! Already this year they have also occurred on the brook both upstream and downstream of this point (from Heath Farm to Sinderland Woods).

I remember seeing the first for Greater Manchester and now I would not be surprised if they were to breed in this area within a few years. How things change!

Additionally I was told that there was a Dunlin present for some days in a wet area near to Brookheys Farm during the recent very cold spell, but I do not have any dates for this.

From 1pm today.....Grey Partridge - 2.Buzzard - 3 over f5 +1in distance. 1over f4. 2 in f11 (1 having it's tail pecked by 2 carrion crow after its food). 2 over f25 with another 1 in the distance. Kestrel - f2.Fieldfare - c 90. F11. Stock Dove - 4.Yellowhammer - large flock disturbed by me possibly around 50 birds which I found quite unusual. It was impossible to get a proper count as they dissappeard /were spread out everywhere. On the way back to the car I spotted a flock of Chaffinch in the Hawthorn hedge f5 of c100 including 3 Brambling. Best birds of the day were 2 Harrier sp. unexpectedly over f4 heading North.

Passing through Sinderland Road so stopped for a quick check of the fields which seemed busy with birds. There were plenty of Fieldfare with fewer numbers of redwing. Plenty of Starling and Wood Pigeon. But of note;

Green Sandpiper (1) - came out of a flooded area in field 32. Flew off high and distant. Great bonus bird for the day.Green Woodpecker (1) - F60Yellowhammer c. 6

After four years of watching birds in the Sinderland Green area I have written up a report of my observations for this small area (which few other birders visit). If anyone would be interested in seeing this please PM me your email address and I will send you a copy.

Little Egret this morning on Sinderland Brook close to Sinderland Green Woods (field 72), later it flew off in towards the north-east. This may well have been in the area for some time (see my previous post here on 24th January). Previous birds have often stayed for a week or more.

After four years of watching birds in the Sinderland Green area I have written up a report of my observations for this small area (which few other birders visit). If anyone would be interested in seeing this please PM me your email address and I will send you a copy.

I was stopped by a farmer today who asked if I knew the identity of the two birds that he had recently seen on Sinderland Brook behind Birch Farm (this was presumably field 30). His description was "large, all white, long legs, long neck" and I guess that these were the Little Egrets which are now turning up annually on the brook. The records that I know of have mainly been around Brookheys Farm but this is only a few hundred metres to the west. In the past some birds have stayed there for a week or more, so for anyone interested this may be worth checking out.

Lots of action in and around field 1 at midday: huge mixed flock of rooks and jackdaws plus similar number of wood pigeons and flock of c 80 chaffinches with several bramblings seen. Redwings in the area plus one grey wagtail. Two ravens over the electricity substation.